Swara Bhasker has opened up on how she had been sexually harassed by a director but it has taken her a long time to realise it was harassment because our culture doesn’t teach women to recognise predatory behaviour.
According to News18, Swara spoke about the experience without taking any names at a panel discussion on "Harvey Weinstein - The Inside Story", along with Dia Mirza and documentarian Anant Patwardhan.
“It took me 6-8 years to realise when I heard someone else talk about their experience of harassment at a panel discussion like this. I was like God, what happened to me 3 years ago was actually sexual harassment at work place! I never realised it because like you said, I escaped. Because the person did not touch me and I managed to ward it off.”Swara Bhasker, Actor
The actor added: "I would just tell myself that this director is being... whatever, but that is not the full truth. The director was not being an idiot or an ass, he was being a predator."
Swara, who has been vocal about women-related issues and supportive of the me too movement, also said that the culture of silence is responsible for women failing to recognise predatory behaviour for what it is. “... we are so endured to handle and manage things. Since childhood, if anything happens there is no one to tell you that this is sexual harassment,” she said.
Dia Mirza too agreed with Swara and said:
“I think because of silence of women, sexual predators have got encouragement, so I feel when women will talk openly about these issues then only, we will be able to see the change.”Dia Mirza, Actor
(Inputs: News18, IANS)
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